Quick start a key in victory
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The well-rested Cougars struck early and often to set the tone against a tired Ravens team that had to defeat the Northeast B.C. Trackers 4-3 in a shootout early Sunday morning. Three goals on 11 shots in a dominant first period for the Cougars took away much of the suspense.
Brendan Moseley got the Cougars started just 1:36 into the game, whacking in a cross-ice feed from linemate Bailey. Alex Ochitwa made it two-zip with a steal on the right wing side. He stripped the puck off the stick of Jaden Kennett and wired a high wrister into the net just before the midway mark of the period.
In the last minute of the period, Brendan Bolt spotted diminutive centre Jaden French breaking through the slot and hit him with the pass. French didn’t get much on the shot but it slid into the net with goalie Jacob Stone already down on one knee.
The Cougars’ fourth goal came on a perfect deflection. Cougar captain Ray Prive got his stick on the ice to redirect the shot from Moseley early in the second period. Conor Byrne banged in a rebound to get the Ravens on the board with the only goal of the third period, the lone shot to beat Coast Inn goalie Kevin Craig. The Cougars outshot the Ravens 41-19. It was the first tournament win of the season for the Cougars.
“It feels really good, we had a goal in mind and we accomplished it,” said the 15-year-old Ochitwa.
“It was a team effort, my line (with French and James Lalikeas) was going, we were having fun out there and we all got lots of points.
“We knew they were going to come out harder than when we played them the first time. They were fresh off a win and they were feeling good so we knew we had to take it to them and we did.”
An 8-2 win Saturday night over Semiahmoo left the Cougars with a 3-1-0 record. The Cougars’ reward for finishing first in the five-team round-robin standings was a bye into the final.
“We kind of ran away with that game (Saturday) night but it really helped us (Sunday) figure out what we had to do to beat them and be successful,” said Prive, 17. “We talked about it in the dressing room. We wanted to come out hard and not give them any room. Well it worked, I guess.
“Everyone works as hard as they can and it helps knowing that they’re going to do the best for me and I’m going to do the same for them.”
Ravens head coach Russ Weber admitted fatigue was a factor.
“We were tired and that’s part and parcel with coming to a tournament,” said Weber. “We play a different style, we’re more of a flow team and we came up for the experience. We wanted to have a road trip.
“When you look at the WHL, junior A, junior B, when you get to this level your goal-scorers are gone, so we struggle putting pucks in the net. We’re trying to rebuild the culture in Semiahmoo and this is a good step towards that.”
The two-time defending provincial champion Cougars hope to carry the momentum they built on the weekend into the Richmond International tournament over the Christmas break playing in the major midget division.
The Cougars are on the younger end of the 15-17-yearold midget age spectrum. Just three players – Bailey, Jaxon Danilec and Chase Shurack – remain from the provincial champions of last year. Moseley played for the Cougars in the 2017 provincial tournament.
“The boys played just about a perfect game (Saturday night) – it’s been coming all year long and we still have a ways to go but that was a great win,” said Cougars head coach Brian Toll. “The home tournament is one of the toughest tournaments to win. Hats off to Semiahmoo, they were up early this morning and had to play a tough team and then play a fresh team this afternoon, but they never quit, they worked hard.”
The Northwest Calgary Bruins, coached by Prince George minor hockey product Ryan Howse, defeated Seafair of White Rock 4-3 to claim fourth place Sunday.